Introduction
Kanye West – The Fashion Moghul
Kanye West – The Hip-Hop King
Kanye West – The Music Producer Par Excellence
Kanye West – The Ex-Husband of Kim Kardashian
Kanye West – The Richest Rapper in the World
Love him or hate him, you simply cannot ignore Kanye West. The man is everything rolled into one. However, what makes him stand apart from others in his competitive niche is the fact that he is highly successful.
Whether you look at his sneaker collaborations with Adidas (Yeezy line) or gauge the success of his music production house- G.O.O.D records, you see that the man is a genius in terms of making money everywhere he goes!
In the last few years, Kanye West has been in the news for both good reasons as well as bad ones. Forbes calculated his net worth at $1.3 Billion, thanks to his deals with Adidas. He married, had children, and then divorced Kim Kardashian, and even announced his bid to run for the American Presidency.
Kanye West: History and Background
Kanye West was born in Atlanta on June 8, 1977. His father, Ray West, was an active member of the Black Panther Movement, and a staunch supporter of Civil Rights. Later, Ray West became a Christian Counsellor. Kanye’s mother, Dr. Donda West, was a Professor at the Clark University in Atlanta, where she taught English Literature.
Unlike other American artists, Kanye West did not have a tough childhood in the financial sense. He came from a relatively middle-class background and according to his mother, Professor West, as a great student at school, dealing mostly in A’s. Kanye’s parents got divorced when he was three years old. He moved with his mother to Chicago post the divorce.
Kanye’s penchant for music was evident at a very early age. He started writing poetry when he was just five. By the seventh standard, he was writing and singing rap songs. At the age of 15, he had his first real brush with music through interaction with music producer, No I.D. The latter became his mentor, guide, and friend, ushering him into this world.
Kanye West: Personal Details and Facts
In this section, we are going to shed light on some of the most interesting facts that you should know about Kanye West.
1. Kanye West Height
For someone that is so much of a heavyweight in the world of music and fashion. Kanye is a relatively short guy. If you have always wondered how tall is Kanye West, we have the correct answer for you- he is 5 feet 8 inches tall! So, for many of you that wanted to know about Kanye West’s height, you should know that he is not the tallest guy around.
2. Kanye West Net Worth
Kanye owes a lot of his financial success to the brand deals and collaborations that he had struck up over the years. 2015 was by far the biggest year in this regard when he collaborated with Adidas for a line of new sneakers- Yeezy. Ever since then, these holy grails have become the number one bestseller putting his fortune at over $1.3 Billion according to Forbes.
4. Kanye West Wife
Kanye married Kim Kardashian in 2014 after the birth of their first child in 2013. Altogether, they have four children- North West, Saint West, Chicago West, and Psalm West. The couple got divorced in June 2021, after reports about Kanye West’s poor mental health start to be publicly acknowledged by Kim Kardashian on social media.
5. Kanye West New Name
Did you know Kanye West legally changed his name to ‘Ye’? Yes, you read that right. In October 2021, a Los Angeles Judge allowed Kanye West to change his name in all legal and official documentation to just Ye. He does not have a legal first or last name right now. He explained that Ye is the most used word in the bible and means ‘You’. This is why he chose it.
6. Kanye West Mother
Kanye West’s mother Donda had a lasting impact on his life. His Creative Content company is named Donda, along with his music album. She was also his manager for a long time. She died an untimely death following post-plastic surgery complications in 2007. Kanye describes it as one of the lowest points of his life. He was very fond and close to his mother.
7. Kanye West Grammy Awards
Kanye has enjoyed great success as a music producer, as well as a rap artist. In all, he has won an astounding 21 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most successful musical artists of all time. He has picked up awards for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, Best Music Album, and others. People still remember his infamous Taylor Swift run-in at the VMAs.
8. Kanye West Music Collaborations
It is no secret that Kanye West has played a key role in resurrecting Jay-Z’s hip-hop career with the album Blueprint. Being such a big name, he has collaborated with all other famous artists. Lil Layne, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, Fergie, Chris Martin, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Elton John, T-Pain, and of course Jay-Z are just a few of the famous names Kanye has worked with.
9. Kanye West Businesses
Kanye West has tried his hand in different business ecosystems. In 2008, he founded a Travel Company. He also had his own Fashion Show at the Paris Fashion Week. He already collaborates with Adidas for the Yeezy line of sneakers. In addition, he has appeared in several movies and the TV show, Entourage. His recent business is architecture and construction.
10. Kanye West Jail and Arrest
Kanye has a criminal record in his name. The artist has been to jail three times, twice in 2008 and once in 2013. In almost all instances, it has been because of his altercations with the paparazzi. He is known to lose his temper when cameras are shoved into his face in public places. He has done probation, served community time, and went for an anger management course.
11. Kanye West Religion
When it comes to Kanye’s religious beliefs, you can immediately see that he stands apart from other artists. He is a staunch Catholic and is not afraid to show his love or devotion to Jesus. His album, ‘College Dropouts’ in 2004 had a song titled Jesus Walks. He has been quite vocal and outspoken about his Christian beliefs and even plays at Sunday Church Choir.
Kanye West Dating History and Relationships
Most of us have memories of Kanye and Kim Kardashian’s over-the-top relationship. The couple started seeing each other immediately after Kim had her infamous 72 day-marriage with NBA star Kris Humphries. They filed for divorce just after six years, giving birth to four children.
- Kanye’s known dating history started with his college sweetheart, Sumeke Rainey. He mentioned her in one of her songs, Never Let Me Down in the album, College Dropouts. Their relationship ended after Kanye rose to superstardom in the music industry.
- His next relationship lasted for nearly two years when he dated designer, Alexis Phifer. The couple even got engaged in Capri, when Kanye proposed to Alexis over a lobster dinner. However, following the death of his mother, Donda in 2007, the couple called it quits.
- Following a brief tryst with Brooke Crittendon, Kanye dates music star Amber Rose for two years. It was widely reported that Rose did not like Kanye’s bullying attitude and called it quits after dating from 2008 to Rose later married another artist, Wiz Khalifa in 2013.
- Kanye dated on and off for two years, before getting serious about Kim Kardashian. It was the single biggest time he had spent with anyone. They had a fairy tale Italian marriage in 2015. They also started a fashion-like for kids post the birth of their children.
- After his divorce from Kim Kardashian, pictures of West and Irina Shayk on a vacation in France cropped up everywhere. Shayk and Kanye had been working professionally for several years. Many reported that Kim Kardashian knew about this romance during her marriage.
Kanye West: The Icon and Enigma
A lot of us remember Kanye for the outspoken support that he lent to Ex-President Donald Trump. Kanye has also had his fair share of run-ins with the political establishment. He once remarked that George Bush does not care about African Americans and that became a big political talking point.
There is no denying the fact that Kanye West is one of the greatest music and hip-hop artists to have walked the face of this planet. His music has consistently occupied top positions at the US Billboard and has allowed him to sell millions of albums over his long career in the music industry.
Would you like us to discuss some other aspects of Kanye West’s life if you feel that we have left out something? If you do, please let us know in the comments section, and we will be more than happy to add the same in a future revision and update of the article.
